Rio de Janeiro (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting with President of Uruguay on the sidelines of the expanded BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 7 (local time).
The PM highlighted the recent positive developments in bilateral relations on the basis of solidarity and friendship between the two nations over decades.
He proposed the two sides soon negotiate and sign an agreement on investment promotion and protection, an agreement on visa exemption for ordinary passport holders, and an agreement on cooperation in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
PM Chinh suggested strengthening agricultural cooperation, opening markets for each other's agricultural products, and standing ready to send businesses to invest, produce, and process agricultural products that Vietnam has strengths in Uruguay for local consumption and export to neighbouring markets.
President Orsi, for his part, affirmed that Uruguay always values and wishes to develop relations with Vietnam. As the Chair of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in 2026, Uruguay wishes to promote cooperation between CELAC and Vietnam, he said.
The President of Uruguay agreed with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's proposal to soon negotiate and complete the Vietnam - MERCOSUR Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in the second half of 2025, which will bring benefits to people and businesses of both sides.
The two leaders agreed to increase the exchange of delegations at all levels to strengthen political trust, mutual understanding and discuss directions to expand bilateral cooperation.
They consented to direct ministries and sectors to coordinate for early organisation of the 5th political consultation between the two countries’s foreign ministries and the 4th meeting of the Joint Committee on Economic, Trade and Investment Cooperation to review bilateral relations and identify specific measures to improve the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation.
The two sides also agreed to strengthen close coordination, effective cooperation and mutual support at multilateral forums, including the United Nations.
On this occasion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh conveyed State President Luong Cuong's invitation to Uruguay to send a delegation to attend the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi in this October. President Yamandu Orsi expressed his thanks for the invitation and highly appreciated Vietnam's initiative./.
